


five times maneha saved pallegina

by palinopsia



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: 5 Times, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Male Watcher - Freeform, Sword lesbians, maneha is Trying, pallegina doesn't understand flirting, some aloth/watcher if you squint, why isnt that a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-30 15:36:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12111849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/palinopsia/pseuds/palinopsia
Summary: and one time pallegina saved maneha(or, a series of snapshots of maneha and pallegina's relationship evolving)





	five times maneha saved pallegina

**Author's Note:**

> i saw there were no pallegina/maneha fics and decided to remedy that, but it got a bit out of hand... so here we are with a word count of almost 10k and no beta
> 
> enjoy

In the weeks following Maneha’s addition to the party, it quickly became apparent to everyone, including the Watcher, that Maneha had a habit of saving Pallegina during battle in the most critical moments.

Maneha was, of course, a more than capable fighter and she knew that working as a team and watching each other’s backs were essential in combat, so this was to be expected. Everyone in the team had saved each other from what seemed to be certain death on at least one occasion, it wasn’t unusual. However, as time went on, Maneha just… kept doing it.

The first time it happened, the party was on their way to Woodend Plains, looking for a good place to camp. The night air had been noticeably heavier, the humidity sticking to their skin like wet cloth as they got closer to the bay. They’d been traveling in relative silence, save for the occasional complaint from Aloth about being exhausted, and no one expected it when Tryggvi abruptly stopped walking, holding out a hand.

“Did you hear that?” he whispered, ears twitching. Edér immediately reached for his sword, and Aloth already had a hand on his grimoire. Pallegina looked especially alert, eyes darting around, glowing like stars against her dark skin and her gaze set on somewhere deep into the woods surrounding them. Hiravias... Hiravias didn’t seem fazed at all.

It was always on nights like these it seemed, danger lurking around the corner, that the moon was especially somber, as if mocking them with its weak light. Maneha knew it was too late for a quick prayer to Ondra – they were on their own, now. It was impossible to detect any movement coming from the woods; it could’ve been anything from a harmless deer passing by to bandits waiting in ambush.

The sound of growling suddenly startled the party, a guttural sound – it sounded like it was coming from everywhere. They barely had time to register it before they were surrounded by a pack of feral wolves.

They stood like that for a moment, circling the party. No one dared make the first move, weapons ready. The tension was raw in the air, brittle. Maneha glanced at her companions, and she could tell they were feeling the same thing – something like fear, starting hollow in the stomach and rising up towards the chest, white hot, all consuming; yet still cautious with an alarming sense that any sudden movement, even so much as blinking too hard, could set them off. These were wild beasts, unpredictable. Maneha could count nine, ten – eleven? She had seen her fair share of savage animals and beasts, but the wolves of the Dyrwood were something else – and suddenly they were all charging at them.

Two of them were coming right at her, and she found herself tackled onto the ground before she could stop it. Fighting, at this point, came naturally to her and with a shout, she got back on her feet and let reflex and muscle memory take over.

As she removed her axe from where it was lodged in the wolf's skull, she suddenly became aware of another one running at Pallegina, who was busy fighting an especially large wolf, probably an elder.

With a swift kick to the second wolf – and this was one of the moments she truly appreciated being an aumaua, her height and build an invaluable advantage – sending it flying, she made for Pallegina. She was on the ground now, struggling to get the large one off of her.

Maneha instantly knew that if she let the other one get to Pallegina, that would be it. All it would take – no, she had no time to think about what would happen and despair. She had to act quickly.

Feeling suddenly invigorated with purpose, she caught up to the wolf just as it was about to reach Pallegina, and kicked it in the head. After sliding a few feet on the ground, the beast finally managed to stumble back to its feet. As it was about to turn around, Maneha ran her sabre through its throat, killing it instantly. She pushed the beast off her sabre with her foot, looking back to check if Pallegina was okay.

She was holding her side with a glowing hand now, still trying to keep the beast off with her forearm against its jaw. Maneha pushed down the panic rising up her throat, seizing her, and let her anger replace it.

Before she knew it, she was pulling the large wolf off of Pallegina and throwing it to the ground, strength fuelled by fury. It was dead before it could get up, a blow to the chest.

Maneha let relief run through her body. She’d made it in time. Pallegina was alive. She was lying on her back, panting, face flushed – and if it stirred something in Maneha, something other than just relief, and an image popped up in her mind in an _entirely_ different context, it was surely because of the adrenaline.

Maneha held out a hand to Pallegina, and after a brief moment of deliberation she took it, pulling herself up. She had blood on hand, but no wound. Maneha sighed in relief.

Without saying anything, Pallegina gave her an acknowledging nod before picking up her great sword from the ground.

Maneha was about to ask her if she was okay, when she was interrupted by the Watcher yelling at Hiravias.

“I thought you said this route was safer!” Tryggvi said between jagged breaths, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice.

“No, I said it was shorter. If you’d listened–”

“Yeah, okay, whatever.” A sigh. “Let’s just find a place to rest.”

After a moment, he turned to Hiravias again and added, “Next time, we stick to the beaten path.”

*******

The second time it happened, they were at the old lighthouse in Ondra’s Gift – though calling it a lighthouse was _generous_ , to say the least. The place was little more than a ruin. The tiles were wrecked, the stone walls shattered. Almost every surface was covered in dirt and grime. The old furniture – the only sign that this was once a functional building, full of life – was falling apart, covered in a thick layer of dust, and it was obvious this place had been abandoned for a very long time.

It gave Maneha the creeps. She wasn’t one to get scared easily – and she wasn’t scared now, either, not really. But she had to admit she was constantly on guard, ready to strike at anything that moved. She could see her breath whenever she exhaled, the room unnaturally cold. And she had been seeing things out of the corner of her eye in the dimly lit room, moving shapes and shadows that disappeared as quickly as they appeared. It put her on edge.

She could see that the others were just as tense as she was. Aloth looked stiffer than usual and Kana had been oddly quiet since they had entered the building. Pallegina kept looking over her shoulder and Tryggvi’s ears were tipped back at a sharp angle. Edér was good at hiding his nervousness, but the hand on the hilt of his sword betrayed him, fingers twitching whenever he heard a sound.

The wooden stairs creaked under every step, a high pitched sound, and Maneha could swear she heard a woman wailing – but it had to be her imagination. They were the only people here, though she suspected the shadows and phantoms on the first floor weren’t the only ones in this building. They had to be careful, she had to focus–

Edér’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.

“’s locked,” he said, uncharacteristically quiet. It was still clearly audible, though, cutting through the eerie silence in the room. He was standing in front of the large doors that Maneha assumed led to another stairway.

“Here, let me–” Aloth offered, pulling out some lock picks.

“Hold on, I’m better at this,” Tryggvi interjected. Aloth gave him a skeptical look, narrowing his eyes at him, but didn’t say anything. “If I just…” Tryggvi trailed off, already focused on the lock.

After a minute of silence, the Watcher stepped back with a defeated sigh, shoulders slumped.

“You were saying?” Aloth teased with a smirk, taking his place in front of the door, lock picks already in hand. It was the Watcher’s turn to narrow his eyes.

“It’s beyond our skill, we need–”

 _“Clam up an juist lit th’ lad open the door, will ye!”_ Iselmyr burst out.

“I’ll try to find the key,” Kana announced, impatient. He disappeared through another doorway leading to a small room.

After that, everything happened very quickly.

Pallegina took a few steps towards the desks at the other end of the room, presumably to join Kana’s search for the key. Maneha thought she saw something move at the corner of the room and was about to dismiss it as her imagination again, when she noticed the shadows in the corner of the room moving, shifting. A shapeless form broke off from the rest, quickly disappearing into the air.

Maneha had seen enough shades in her life to know what was going to happen next – it would instantly reappear behind someone’s back, catching them unaware, and drain whatever essence they had in their soul. She’d lost several companions in the past to these creatures, and she wasn’t about to let it happen again.

“Pallegina, look out!”

And so she moved, without thinking. She lunged at Pallegina, wrapping her arms around her and moving them both out of the way. As if on cue, the shade materialized right next to where Pallegina had just been standing. Maneha was ready for it, weapons already in hand. With two quick strikes, the shade disappeared into the air again, disintegrating.

Pallegina was completely dumbstruck, looking blankly at where the shade had appeared. She opened her mouth to say something, searching for words, but nothing came out.

Eventually she turned to look at Maneha, her golden eyes clear, gleaming with an expression Maneha hadn’t seen in them before. She looked younger – or rather, she looked her age. She always had that piercing look in her eyes; fierce, determined, uncompromising. _Intense_. But this – this was different. This was new. Her eyes were soft.

Maneha thought they were the most beautiful eyes she’d ever seen.

“I–” Pallegina began, and stopped. She broke the eye contact, looking down and focusing on somewhere in the air between them. After a moment she looked up at Maneha again, and there was that look again. Open, vulnerable.

“Thank you,” she said, voice warm with sincerity. A pause, and then, “Why are you smiling?”

“You have the most beautiful eyes, you know that?”

Pallegina’s eyes widened in complete shock and surprise. She coughed, quickly looking away. Maneha thought she saw her blush. She felt her smile widen.

“Aha!” came Kana’s voice from where he was standing over a desk. “Found it!”

“I told you,” Tryggvi said from the door. “We can’t pick this lock.”

“It was worth a try,” Aloth replied.

*******

The third time, it happened near the broken Madhmr Bridge. They were hunting an Aedyran slaver, one of Warden Fyrgen’s bounties – real piece of shit, by the name of Galen Dalgard. Apparently the _authorities_ weren’t willing to do anything about it, even though slavery was illegal here. Figures they’d be willing to ignore _slavery_ just to save their own assess.

So, Maneha did not feel much in the way of guilt as they butchered him and his men.

She was fighting one of the taskmasters, the type that fights dirty, unpredictable. She was vaguely aware of a sniper somewhere – though she only had to worry about one, thanks to Sagani.

She had been looking for an opening, but the guy was too quick, evading her blows time after time. She had to think of something, catch him off guard. She quickly took a step back, knowing the guy would strike and – a punch square in the jaw, followed by a knee to the stomach. Bet he wasn’t expecting that. She grinned.

He doubled over, winded breaths matching Maneha’s own. Just as she was about to land the killing blow, out of nowhere the man had another dagger in hand, and she felt a sharp pain on her arm – probably just a graze, no time to worry – and putting all her strength into it, she delivered the final blow.

As she was trying to regain her breath, she noticed Pallegina fighting a slaver, but she looked... distracted. Was that a wound on her leg? Pallegina was one of the best warriors Maneha had ever known, she should’ve been able to take this guy, but there she was. She – was about to get shot, Maneha noticed suddenly. The sniper was aiming right at Pallegina, and she had no idea, no time– Maneha knew she should’ve went for the sniper, fuck, _shit_ – she had to get to, to...

She felt suddenly tired, arms and legs sluggish. The world blurred around her, sounds of fighting muffled, distant, and… what was she doing again? The sniper, right – she tried to take a step and faltered, trying and failing to find her balance.

What the– what was going on? It slowly dawned on her – poison. Of course, poison, the taskmaster, his dagger, _fuck_ – She had to shake it off, had to get to the sniper before– before–

She was too late, she knew, as she heard the sound of a shot being fired; loud, unmistakable.

She turned to look at Pallegina, prepared to see – that he had missed. He’d _missed!_ She still had a chance. Pallegina was still alive.

Gathering all her strength and focus, Maneha went straight for the sniper. He was still busy reloading to notice her approaching until it was too late, and – and if she hadn’t _missed_ , he would be dead. She cursed Skaen, and the taskmaster, and the poison and felt anger rising up inside her, spreading through her limbs, her chest, until all her thoughts scattered away to be replaced by a single, clear purpose.

With newly gained strength and a clearer head, the effects of the poison seemed far away, unimportant.

As the guy pulled out his sword and was about to swing, Maneha dropped her axe and caught his wrist in the air, stopping him.

The man looked shocked, eyes wide with something like fear flickering in them for only a moment before Maneha twisted, once, and again a second time as she heard, _felt_ , the satisfying _crack_ of his bones. The man’s eyes screwed shut, as his sword fell from his grip, face scrunching up in pain. He let out a howl.

The guy’s other hand went immediately to her throat in a futile attempt to stop her, but they both knew it was too late. With a low, feral sound clawing its way up her throat, Maneha ran her sabre through his abdomen, felt it pierce the flesh and once again, twisted. She pulled back, the man still gasping for breath, and thrust again. And again. Finally, she let his lifeless body fall to the ground, blood seeping through his leather armor, pooling around him.

As she kneeled down to pick up her axe, she felt her anger die down, replaced with something like relief. She almost lost her balance again as she was standing up, still a bit lightheaded. She was starting to feel her limbs again, though, and the fight wasn’t over yet.

She glanced over at Pallegina, expecting to see her safe and the slaver dead, only to see that not only the slaver was still alive, but Pallegina was now fighting _two_ of them.

Maneha was walking in her direction before she even knew it, and as the two slavers had their backs to her, too busy fighting Pallegina, she didn’t hesitate to strike.  

She missed with her axe, but as the guy was half turning, her sabre connected to his elbow. Maneha felt the blade cut through flesh with ease, and then bone, and as the guy screamed in pain, Maneha noticed Pallegina clutching her stomach with a glowing hand, brows furrowed in concentration, muttering something under her breath.

Maneha felt suffocated with worry for a moment, panic rising in her chest – instantly replaced by anger that these _bastards_ thought they could hurt Pallegina, and _get away with it_ –  

With a shout, she turned her attention to the other one, who had already raised his shield, ready for her to strike. She could tell he was intimidated; his posture was pathetic.

Despite that, though – or maybe because of it – it was near impossible to get this guy to lower his shield. He was relentlessly blocking Maneha’s every strike. Yet, she could see that he was getting tired, and he wouldn’t be able to keep it up for much longer. All she had to do was to keep hitting.

And sure enough, after about another half a dozen times, the guy not only lowered his shield, but he dropped it completely, out of breath. Just as Maneha was about to strike, an arrow found its way to his throat, the end sticking out through the other side. Maneha wiped the warm blood off her face as the guy fell to the ground with a thud.

Looking around, she spotted Sagani lowering her bow with a smug look on her face. They’d talked about this, they’d agreed stealing kills was not nice – and suddenly Maneha realized the fight was over. The slavers were all dead, and Pallegina–

She was safe. She was safe, she was okay, they’d won and Pallegina was alive. Maneha felt dizzy with relief – or perhaps it was the poison.

She sheathed her weapons, walking over to Pallegina. She was still trying to catch her breath, clutching her stomach, though at least the wound wasn’t bleeding anymore.

As she approached, Pallegina looked her up and down, frowning.

“Are you alright?” she asked. “You look terrible.”

“Thanks,” Maneha chuckled.

“No, I meant…” she sighed. “Never mind.”

Maneha knew she meant the poison; she probably looked sickly pale and exhausted. But that wasn’t important now, she wanted to ask her about – no, this wasn’t the time. They would have time to talk later.

After the party cleaned up, they started preparing to camp as the sun started to set. She looked around for Pallegina, but she was nowhere to be seen. She saw Aloth with Tryggvi, patching him up. Edér was trying to pet Itumaak again, Sagani watching them with a concerned expression. Guess Edér just didn’t give up. Maneha smiled to herself, shaking her head.

She finally spotted Pallegina behind a tent, looking for something in her bag. She was stripped out of her armor, wearing instead casual Vailian clothing. It suited her, though she looked better in armor. Or maybe that was just Maneha – she’d always had a thing for women in armor.

Pallegina looked beautiful, the setting sun painting her skin a stunning shade of gold matching her eyes, her feathers glinting in the light. She was gorgeous. Breathtaking.

Maneha felt an ache in her chest. Ignoring it, she quickly made her way over to the tent.

"Hey,” Maneha began. Pallegina stepped away from her bag, attention turning to Maneha. “I just wanted to ask – and don’t take this the wrong way, but,” she paused. “What’s up with you today?” Maneha asked, trying to sound casual. “You seem very… distracted. Is everything alright?”

Pallegina looked at her with a ridiculously suspicious expression, eyes narrowed to slits. She was just asking her if she was alright. What kind of ulterior motive did she think Maneha could possibly have?

"I’m alright. Everything is fine." She immediately averted her gaze. It was so easy to tell when she was lying. It was incredibly endearing, and Maneha had to force herself not to smile.

"Look, you don’t have to tell me,” Maneha said, trying to sound as sincere as possible. “But I can tell something's been bothering you."

At that, Pallegina turned to her again, looking her right in the eye as if she was searching for something. Whatever it was, Maneha assumed she found it when she sighed, placing a hand on her forehead.

"Tryggvi said we'd be at Twin Elms in a week."

Eir Glanfath? What was in– oh.

"You’re worried about the trade deal," Maneha said, mostly to herself. When Pallegina didn’t reply, she added, “I’m sure it’ll be fine, Pallegina. They sent _you_ to make the deal for a reason.”

But once again, Pallegina didn’t reply, looking away. Maneha knew there was something Pallegina wasn’t telling her. She didn’t mean to pry, but she couldn’t help her curiosity.

“What is it?” The question slipped out of her mouth before she could stop to think about it.

“I–” Pallegina began, and stopped. She looked at Maneha again, eyes piercing through her soul, her mind – at least that was what it felt like. “It’s none of your business," she snapped, suddenly.

Why was she so worried about this trade deal? All she had to do was follow orders. Maneha knew she didn’t agree with the ducs, but what choice did she have? It wasn’t like she could– But of course, this was Pallegina. Stubborn, devoted and resolute, she would be willing to do anything to protect the Republics.

“You’re going to change the terms of the deal!” Maneha burst out, eyes wide with realization.

Caught, now it was Pallegina’s turn to be shocked; wide eyed and speechless. It took her a moment to regain her composure, closing her eyes and exhaling deeply before speaking.

“Yes. It’s the only way to–” she stopped, sighing. She spoke quickly, but passionately. “The ducs may not realize it, but this deal can result in _war_ between the Dyrwood and the Republics in the future. I cannot go through with it. I _have_ to do something.”

Maneha could hear it in her voice, the determination. She would never cease to be amazed by how earnest Pallegina was. She was right, of course. An exclusive trade deal with Eir Glanfath would weaken the Dyrwood; they were completely at the Republics’ mercy. They would profit in the short term, but the consequences for the long term…

“Then do it,” Maneha said. “You know it’s the right thing to do.”

“I can’t!” Pallegina exclaimed, raising her arms in frustration. “If I’m wrong, I will lose my place in the Brotherhood, I will be disgraced, _banished…_ ”

“Stop, Pallegina,” Maneha tried, but Pallegina wasn’t having it, and she just kept rambling and panicking. Maneha had never seen her lose it like this before. She was always so calm and collected, keeping everything to herself. It was unusual enough to see her showing much emotion, and seeing her like _this_ … Maneha took a step towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She immediately went quiet.

“Listen to me, Pallegina, look at me–” she finally calmed down at that, taking a deep breath. Maneha slid her hand down to her upper arm. “You can prevent a lot of suffering, for both the Republics and the Dyrwood. Think about it. What happens if you really go through with this deal? If you’re wrong…” Maneha paused. What was the right thing to say? Putting more pressure on her didn’t seem helpful. “The Dyrwood has suffered enough, they can’t handle a loss like that. And what if you’re right? A war? Either way…” Maneha removed her hand from Pallegina’s arm. “Do you really want that on your conscience?”

“I don’t know, Maneha,” Pallegina said quietly, looking down. “I have too much to lose.”

“Just do what you think is right,” Maneha said, smiling warmly. “I know your heart is in the right place. You’ll make the right decision.”  

“But the Brotherhood–”

“Doesn’t deserve you. Pallegina, you are the most skilled, fierce and amazing warrior I have ever met. You are honest, earnest, and you will do anything for the Republics. If they can’t see how incredible you are, that’s their loss. You don’t need them. You don’t owe them anything.”

Pallegina looked up to meet her eyes, and there it was again, that look; eyes burning with intensity. But there was something else, too. Maneha couldn’t quite put a finger on it yet, but it was there.

Maneha felt that ache in her chest again; warm, familiar. She’d been ignoring it for some time now, this feeling. Sure, Pallegina was amazing and astonishingly beautiful and she had that _accent_ , but that’s all this was. A crush, some harmless flirting that completely went over Pallegina’s head, and maybe an overwhelming need to make sure she’s safe. It wasn’t going to go anywhere, it was temporary. Pallegina didn’t seem interested anyway; maybe she got flustered whenever Maneha flirted with her and it was adorable, but she never reciprocated. Besides, they were teammates. That never worked out.

But Maneha wasn’t so sure anymore. This had been going on for some time, and it didn’t feel like these feelings were going away any time soon. If anything, they’d been getting harder and harder to ignore, and she had been thinking more and more about Pallegina lately. About her smile, and her lips, and her feathers–

 “You… really think so?” she asked, interrupting her thoughts.

“Of course! Pallegina, you’re amazing. Anyone would be lucky to have you.”

“I– Wh–” she stuttered, feathers bristling. “What?”

Oh shit. Oh fuck.

“In their ranks, I mean.” Maneha looked away, her throat suddenly uncomfortably dry. She coughed. This was ridiculous. Maneha _did_ _not_ get flustered. She had been casually flirting with Pallegina for months, for gods' sake.

“Oh,” Pallegina said, and was that _disappointment_ in her voice? “I'm, uh… thank you,” she mumbled, voice flat. She looked down.

Neither of them spoke for a moment. Maneha was the one to break the awkward silence.

“Well, you still have time to think about it. I’m here if you ever need to talk.” She attempted a smile.

“That... means a lot,” Pallegina said, voice soft. “Thank you.”

*******

The fourth time it happened, they were in Oldsong, in Galawain's Maw. Something about a giant bear, and a lion? Maneha hadn’t been paying much attention – Tryggvi was the one who kept track of these things. Not that _he_ paid much attention, either.

Galawain's Maw was an impressive temple, if a bit intimidating, what with all the Fangs and stelgaers. They’d also been warned that the place was filled with traps, so they had to be careful. Impressive, nonetheless. A giant head carved out of stone, architecture elegantly built into the natural caverns… It must’ve taken a lot of time and effort to build this place. Though, it looked like it was starting to fall apart, broken arches and shattered tiles.

“Edér, stop it,” Hiravias said abruptly. “You can’t pet the giant bear.”

“Stop what?”

“You’ve been pouting since we left Oeros back there!”

“Wait until he sees the lion cubs,” Tryggvi added with a chuckle.

“I am _not_ fighting lion cubs, just so you know,” Edér said.

They’d already disarmed two traps, after Edér stepped on one and almost got burned. They’d decided Pallegina would lead the party, since she had exceptionally good perception. One of the advantages of being blessed by Hylea, Maneha supposed. She’d always notice details no one else would, warning everyone at just the right time, and her eyes were darting around all the time. She seemed like the obvious choice.

However, Maneha wasn’t so sure. Pallegina was still distracted, constantly deep in thought. Maneha had caught her zoning out during missions more than once. At least she was more focused during battle, though it seemed like she was just taking whatever was bothering her out on her enemies. Not the healthiest way of coping, Maneha thought, but hey, they’d all been there.

Maneha knew what was bothering her, of course. She’d made the trade deal with the anamenfath, and changed the terms. She had disobeyed the ducs’ orders. It was a brave thing to do; selfless. Maneha admired that. Pallegina continued to impress Maneha with her... everything, really.

For the past couple of days, Maneha had been keeping an eye on her, making sure she didn’t get herself killed. At least, she had been doing it _consciously_ this time.

So, she had been walking right behind her as they crossed an old stone bridge, grateful that it didn’t crumble and collapse beneath their feet. The other bridge was already broken, though they could probably get across with a rope, if need be. Idly wondering what could’ve caused it to collapse, Maneha almost didn’t see it. And when she did, it was too late. She heard a _click_.

Pallegina had just stepped on a pressure plate.

“Stop!” she yelped. Not waiting for Pallegina to listen, she quickly clasped Pallegina's arms, not letting her move.

“What do you th–”

“Pallegina, if you take one step, that trap is going to go off.”

“What trap? Maneha, let–”

“The one you just stepped on!” She heard a sharp intake of breath from Pallegina. “Now don’t move,” Maneha said, enunciating each word slowly. She cautiously let go of her arms and turned around, walking up to the Watcher.

“Tryggvi, think you can disarm that?” she asked.

“I can try,” he replied, but took only a couple of steps before stopping. “Uh,” he said, pointing to Hiravias who was already working on the trap. Huh. Guess he _would_ be good with traps, being a follower of Galawain. How did they not know about this before?

Maneha went back to where Pallegina was standing, watching Hiravias work; brows furrowed, his hands working fast with confidence. Suddenly, Maneha noticed Pallegina was holding her breath. Without thinking, she put a hand on her arm, squeezing gently, reassuring. Immediately, Pallegina let out a deep breath, probably realizing she’d been holding it. Maneha felt the muscles in Pallegina's arm relax, her posture shifting into something more natural, comfortable.

Maneha hadn’t noticed how tense Pallegina was before. She couldn’t blame her, one wrong move and the trap would explode, and – Maneha couldn’t think about that. They had to trust Hiravias knew what he was doing. She moved her hand to Pallegina’s shoulder.

“Pallegina, are you–”

"Yes, I know I’ve been distracted lately. I’ll be more careful,” she said, not looking at her.

This didn’t seem like the best time to have this conversation, but Maneha couldn’t stop herself. Seeing Pallegina like this and not being able to help… it was difficult.

"You made the right decision, Pallegina."

At that, Pallegina finally met her eyes. Maneha was doing her best to look as sincere and reassuring as possible. Pallegina closed her eyes and sighed, looking completely defeated.

"How can you possibly know that? I can’t stop wondering if I’ve made a huge mistake," she said, averting her eyes.

“Because you’re doing what’s best for your country, even if the ducs can’t see that. And you’re preventing a lot of suffering. Even if you’re wrong, at least you will have made your own decision. It will be your own mistake, not one you made following bad orders. What you did was brave, Pallegina. You chose your own path. Be proud.” Maneha smiled warmly.

Pallegina sighed, nodding slowly. She gave Maneha a weak smile. Maneha felt a tug on her heartstrings.

“There! It’s disarmed,” Hiravias interrupted, unnecessarily loud. “We can move on.” He took the lead.

And so they did.

Except Pallegina, who took only a few steps before grabbing Maneha by the wrist, turning her around as the rest of the party kept walking.

“What are you…” Maneha trailed off, caught off-guard as Pallegina slowly took a step towards her. And then another, until they were standing inches apart from each other. Maneha was too dumbfounded to even try to comprehend what was happening, and suddenly Pallegina was rising up on her tip-toes, lightly placing a hand on her shoulder.

Maneha thought her heart would burst as she felt Pallegina’s lips pressing gently against her cheek, lingering for only a moment. It was so soft, and so sweet – and unexpected – Maneha thought she imagined it, for a second. Pallegina, who never once flirted back, had just kissed her. It was too good to be true. Surely, this was some kind of dream.

But there she was, with her brilliant eyes and delicate feathers, looking absolutely bashful. Maneha could watch her forever. She was so gorgeous.

“What was that for?” Maneha asked, and immediately regretted it, mentally scolding herself for asking such a stupid question – couldn’t she think of something better to say? She wanted to ask what this meant, if this was her way of returning Maneha’s feelings, but that would just make it even worse. It was just an innocent kiss on the cheek; it could mean nothing at all. But Pallegina must know that Maneha was interested in her – really, she would have to be obtuse as well as blind and deaf not to have noticed at this point – and that this was sending a very clear message. Or was it? Maneha didn’t want to assume, and it was too much to hope for.

Gods, she didn’t know. Her brain was working too fast; questions flooded her mind and she had answers for exactly none of them. It wasn’t frustrating as much as it was confusing.

She was vaguely aware of the presence of a new feeling though, deep down. It was a pleasant, hopeful feeling, spreading through her chest. It was… refreshing.  

“Thank you,” Pallegina said, not breaking eye contact. She gave Maneha a warm smile.

 _For what_ , Maneha wanted to ask. But without another word, Pallegina turned around and quickly joined the rest of the party.

Maneha could swear she saw her smirking.

*******

The fifth time it happened, Maneha was scared. For real, this time. She supposed anyone would be, in her situation. Fighting a giant dragon was, admittedly, a little terrifying.

They were back in the White March, after Tryggvi had a vision or dream – some kind of weird Watcher thing – about some kind of army. The party was on their way back to Stalwart from the Abbey when they decided to finally check out the cave in Longwatch Falls. Tryggvi had warned them before about the presence of a strong soul in the cave, and they’d decided to leave it alone.  Now that Maneha wasn’t distracted by her memories of… whatever it was, the party was at their peak. They were ready for whatever was in there.

Or so they thought.

None of them had expected a fucking gigantic, soul-eating _dragon_ , and Maneha suspected that even if they had, they still wouldn’t have been prepared.

Tryggvi had tried negotiating, but the dragon wasn’t having it. They had to defend themselves.

And so they found themselves fighting a dragon and its small army of ice blights, ethereal beings and oozes, as if just the dragon itself wasn’t enough. On top of it all, the cave was freezing. Even Maneha, who was used to the weather in the White March, was feeling it. It was uncomfortable, and made it harder to concentrate.

She wondered if Tryggvi was affected by the cold, too. The guy could dive into a frozen lake like it was nothing, but the cold in this cave had some kind of unnatural quality to it. That was when she saw it, saw _him_ , on his knees next to someone – shit. It was Aloth. He looked unconscious, though thankfully not too badly injured. Either way, they’d lost their only wizard.

The Watcher quickly stood up with a shout, a feral look in his eyes. Except, no sound came out. Instead Maneha could hear, _feel_ in her mind a distant, high pitched noise. If it was any stronger, it felt like it would’ve hurt like hell. She would never understand how this cipher stuff worked.

But at least it worked – the dragon reeled back, stunned; though it was only for a moment. It seemed to shake it off immediately, barely affected. Shit. _How_ were they supposed to fight this thing?

She had to worry about fighting this spirit first, though. Maneha could see her sabre moving right through it, as if slashing through air. It was hard to tell if she was doing any damage, though over time it seemed to be disintegrating slowly.

A loud _bang_ startled Maneha, and her attention turned to the source.

Pallegina had just fired a shot at the dragon, the bullet finding its way to the creature’s eye – and of _course_ Pallegina would be a crack shot – and blinding it. The dragon clutched its eye, letting out a thundering roar.

It was terrifying, and Maneha froze for a moment, unable to move. If the dragon wasn’t angry before, it definitely was, now. She couldn’t think, couldn’t concentrate, the fear clouding her mind.

A sudden jolt of electricity running through her body shocked Maneha out of her stupor, and she lashed out at the spirit. With one final blow, it disintegrated completely.

Looking around for enemies, she noticed Pallegina surrounded by a few ice blights, perhaps drawn to the sound of the gunshot? It was always particularly difficult fighting blights; Maneha could see the trapped souls, their confusion and agony. It seemed like a mercy, destroying them.

Which, Pallegina seemed to be doing with ease. She was mesmerizing, light steps and elegant moves; yet fierce and relentless. She fought with zeal and discipline, with fire and grace. With _passion_. Maneha couldn’t take her eyes off her.

And she almost didn’t see the dragon lashing its tail at Pallegina.

She was running before she could think, and for a moment she thought she wasn’t going to make it, that she wasn’t fast enough, and she should’ve seen it sooner, should’ve done something– she tackled Pallegina, and they fell onto the ground as she saw the dragon’s tail land where Pallegina had just been fighting the ice blights, crushing the rest.

She had no time to ask Pallegina if she was okay as they quickly scrambled to their feet, weapons ready. The dragon turned its attention to them. It looked in significantly worse shape; Edér and Zahua had been wearing it out and Tryggvi’s cipher powers seemed to have been effective. There were cuts all over its body, and one of its wings had a massive rip in it.

And now, Maneha wasn’t so scared anymore. The dragon was badly injured, and it was one against the five of them. They had a real chance. They could do this.

So they fought. And the dragon fought back, getting weaker with each strike.

Maneha managed to roll away at just the right time, the dragon’s claw missing where she had been lying on the ground. She’d been knocked down by its wing, though at least she’d made a tear in it with her sabre at the last moment.

She struggled to get back to her feet, panting. With fury, she landed a blow on the dragon’s foot, felt her axe cut through flesh and bone, and the dragon roared, followed by a low, deep growl when it tried to take a step.

The beast stumbled, falling on all fours. The sounds of its harsh, ragged breathing filled the cave and Maneha saw something shift in it, and suddenly it looked – peaceful. Maneha looked around, searching for some kind of confirmation that this was indeed happening and she wasn’t just imagining it. And sure enough, her companions seemed just as confused as she was… except one. The Watcher had his eyes closed, muttering something under his breath.

“Now!” he yelled, breaking the silence. Maneha was too startled to do anything – she knew Tryggvi’s cipher powers allowed him to do things like this, but she never thought it’d work on a _dragon_.

Pallegina, though, had already shaken off the shock, and was running straight at the dragon. The creature was lying down, now, looking exhausted. And suddenly, impossibly, she _jumped_ , climbing up on the dragon’s head. The beast slowly started to rise up in realization, and Maneha watched in awe as Pallegina drew her great sword, and with a shout, pierced it through the dragon’s eye, into its skull.

With a sharp cry, the dragon arched its back, rising up on its legs again. Pallegina seemed to lose her balance for a moment, but she managed to jump down as the dragon collapsed, defeated. Dead.

Glancing at her companions, Maneha saw they were just as amazed by what happened as she was. Pallegina was… fucking unbelievable, if Maneha was being honest. She had just jumped on a dragon’s head and stabbed its brain with a great sword, as if people just… _did_ that. Unbelievable.

“Damn,” Edér murmured, sheathing his sword. Zahua seemed to be having difficulty telling what was real and what wasn’t.

She checked herself for injuries, and didn’t find much other than some rather large bruises and small cuts. Edér and Pallegina seemed to be alright and… and where was Tryggvi? He had been right there with them, next to – Maneha finally spotted him in a dark corner of the cave. He seemed to be relatively uninjured, but she’d totally forgotten about Aloth. Tryggvi was on his knees hunched over him, so it was hard to see but Aloth seemed to be conscious at least, leaning on his elbows.

Edér had spotted them too, going over there to help Aloth walk. He was leaning on both Edér and the Watcher, a nasty looking wound across his torso, his fair skin bruised all over, bleeding from various small cuts.

His armor wasn’t beyond repair, at least. The watcher handed him a small vial filled with blue liquid.

“Sorry,” Tryggvi said softly. “This is all I have right now. Can you make it to the inn?”

“Yes, I’ll be–” he broke into a fit of coughing. “I’ll be fine.” Tryggvi and Edér gave him a worried look.

“Aloth, please tell me you were awake to see how Pallegina took down the dragon,” Edér pleaded.

“Yes,” he gave Edér a weak smile. “It was quite something.” After a moment Iselmyr added with a teasing look, looking at Maneha, “ _Aye._ _Ye'r a lucky hen.”_

And so they celebrated.

Or rather, they all went to the tavern to get shitfaced.

The Gréf’s Rest was a cozy place, the fire illuminating the room in warm tones, creating a friendly atmosphere. After fighting a dragon in that freezing cave, even Maneha could appreciate the warmth that the inn offered, though it wasn’t like she had much choice in the matter; this was the only tavern around here. Still, it was nice, and the music was welcome.

Edér and Zahua were at a table next to the bar where Maneha was sitting. Just by looking at them Maneha could tell they were already off their faces, and knowing Zahua, probably not just from the alcohol. Whatever they were on, Maneha made a mental note to ask them for some, later. 

She hadn’t seen Aloth or the Watcher all evening. Aloth was probably sleeping; he’d gotten messed up pretty bad. The kid deserved some rest. She didn’t know about Tryggvi, though.

She was about to take a sip a sip of her brandy – Aldleaf brandy, because fighting a dragon and surviving it was a damn special occasion – when she heard someone sit next to her. To her surprise, it was Pallegina.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while.

“So…” Maneha took a sip. “That was some fight, huh?”

Pallegina nodded in agreement, raising an eyebrow. She hadn’t said a word since sitting down, and she wasn’t drinking anything, either. It was… concerning.

“Are you alright? You weren’t injured, were you?” Maneha felt a sudden burst of panic. She knew Pallegina tended to lie about her injuries – one time she’d even caught her hiding two cracked ribs. She thought she could take care of it herself. Maneha shook her head at the memory.

"No, no I’m fine.” Thank the gods. “Are… you?" She glanced at Maneha, a conflicted look on her face.

"Yeah, just some bruises, nothing big." Maneha shrugged.

"No, I mean…” she paused. “About your… memories.” Memories?

"Oh." The Abbey.

"What happened back there, Maneha? At the Salt Well?” Pallegina was looking at her now; eyes soft, glistening. “You went into that pond and I thought–” she cast her gaze down. “I thought you weren't coming back." Her voice was tight, thick with emotion. Maneha felt an overwhelming need to hug her, comfort her somehow.

“I…” She what? _She_ didn’t know. She had no idea what happened at the Well. “I don’t remember. I’m sorry, I wish I could tell you something better. But hey, guess it really worked.” Maneha gave her a sheepish smile.

“Guess it did.” Pallegina smiled back. “So… how do you feel?”  

Maneha took another sip. This was her chance. She could only hope it wouldn’t go over Pallegina’s head, this time. After that kiss, though... she felt good about her chances.

“I feel… good. I feel like I can finally stop thinking about the past, and…” she turned to Pallegina. “Start looking forward,” she said with a small smile.

 _To what?_ The question hung in the air, unspoken.

She wasn’t expecting it when Pallegina reached across the counter and placed her hand on top of Maneha’s, and gently squeezed. Her hand was so warm, and despite years of fighting, surprisingly soft.

And when Maneha finally turned to look at her again, shock written all over her face, Pallegina was still smiling at her.

*******

This time, though, it was different.

They hadn’t been expecting it. _Maneha_ hadn’t been expecting it. They weren’t ready for another fight. It was just their carelessness, relief from victory against Concelhaut, plain old exhaustion – it didn’t matter. It was supposed to be over, they had already won; but the moment they pulled that lever and entered the cave, they were greeted by a horde of void seers and steelspines, and a death guard that looked _ancient_.

The fireball took them all by surprise.

Maneha managed to dodge at the last moment, throwing herself on the ground. Or rather, on a pile of bones belonging to various kith races, since the ground was covered with them. They did nothing to break the fall.

Maneha felt a sharp, throbbing pain in her side. A bone was digging into a rather large cut, and as she got back to her feet with a grunt, she saw it had started bleeding again, painting the bandaging a dark crimson. _Fuck_.

She saw Edér fighting one of the steelspines and considered going over to help; or perhaps Kana who was surrounded by a handful of void seers, too quick for him to land a blow. But then she saw Pallegina climbing up to her feet, trying to put out her burning feathers. She’d barely missed the fireball.

Maneha could feel her rage building, flowing through her, consuming her. Ancient or not, that death guard would _pay_. The pain in her side was a dull ache now, her breathing uneven. She rushed the death guard with a shout, axe and sabre ready in hand.

As she got closer, though, doubt began to settle in. The guard's sword was glowing, fiery red, and his shield was still in one piece despite looking ages old. Not a single crack in his armor. His rotting skin dark, wrinkled and translucent; in stark contrast to the white of his bones where there wasn’t enough skin to cover. His eyes were burning – quite literally – with perverted zeal, yet cold, empty. And the stench…

It was like fighting death itself. It made her uneasy.

She missed, of course. She’d been half expecting it, and deep down she knew that trying to fight this creature was useless. He, _it_ , kept blocking her every strike, and would keep doing so. It was barely even alive; how could she kill something that was already dead?

No. She had to keep fighting. This wasn’t her talking. Being so close to the guard was doing this to her, she could feel it, and gods, she _hated_ it when they played with her mind. She couldn’t give up now. She wouldn’t.

She felt the searing heat first, just as she was about to strike. Her eyes slammed shut, a hiss escaping her mouth. And _then_ she felt the rest of the sword piercing her abdomen, a sharp pressure; agonizingly slow and sizzling hot. When she opened her eyes again, gasping for breath, her throat felt raw from screaming.

Her shaking hands went to the hilt without thinking, trying to push it away, but it was a worthless effort. The guard only drove it deeper, and it was only then, when she saw the blood gushing from her stomach, and the adrenaline giving way to paralyzing dread, that the pain finally hit her. Dull, throbbing pain, deep in her stomach, getting more intense with every pulse. It was excruciating. And it wasn’t like Maneha had never been stabbed before, but getting run through by scorching hot steel was _new_.

With one swift motion the guard finally pulled out the sword and Maneha felt her head swim, violently gasping for breath, vision blurring and dark around the edges. Stumbling a couple steps backwards, she hit the ground once again. She didn’t feel the bones pressing into her back – only the thrumming ache that spread through her body. She felt suddenly exhausted, her vision stirring again. She closed her eyes; she was so _tired_. She felt numb all over, sounds of fighting distant, unimportant. She was vaguely aware of someone calling her name, though, and she opened her eyes again, trying to make out what was going on.

“Maneha? Maneha, you have to stay awake! _Stay with me!_ ” The voice had an otherworldly power to it; demanding, commanding. “ _Madiccho!_ Don’t you die on me!”

As soon as she heard it, Maneha felt something change, like a switch, something awakening inside her. And she saw her. She saw Pallegina fighting the death guard with an outstretched glowing hand, and it was so bright, and so intense, and… and then everything went dark.

When she came to, the first thing Maneha noticed was _pain_. A lot of it. The second thing was that there was someone in the room, and where was she, anyway? Was she captured? She couldn’t remember where she had been before. She must’ve been fighting, taken a heavy blow going by how every inch of her body hurt. This wasn’t the first time she found herself in this situation. Either way, she had to get out of here. She still hadn’t opened her eyes, and she pretended to be asleep as she reached for her knife she kept in her belt, only to find that moving her arm hurt even more, and that her knife was gone. Shit. Her armor was gone too, replaced by… bandaging? Where _was_ she?

Trying to concentrate, she vaguely remembered… woods? And… and a campfire? And pain, and walking – and then a horse? Gods, she was exhausted. She already had the beginnings of a headache.

Giving up on attacking her captor, she decided to risk it. Maybe she could find a way to escape, or somehow negotiate. She cracked open an eye, and then another, trying to adapt to the light. It was overwhelming, blindingly bright for the first few seconds, though as her eyes finally adjusted to the light, she realized the room was in fact rather dimly lit, and… she was at Caed Nua. In her room. In her bed. _What?_

A gasp. “You’re awake!” Maneha recognized the voice before she saw her. She would recognize it anywhere.

She tried to sit up, regretting it immediately as she felt a jolt of intense pain in her abdomen. Still, she managed to sit, leaning against the headboard.

Pallegina looked tired, like she hadn’t slept in two days. She had bags under her eyes, hair and feathers a mess, tangled and sticking out everywhere. She was wearing casual clothing, revealing the trail of feathers on her arms in beautiful contrast against her dark skin. She walked over with hurried steps, sitting next to Maneha.

“Hey,” she said softly, a kind look in her eyes.  

Maneha opened her mouth to speak, finding that she couldn't. Pallegina offered her a glass of water. She hadn’t realized how thirsty she was.

“Did you–” she stopped, hissing in pain.

“Take your time,” Pallegina offered. “You’ve been out a couple days.”

She tried again, quieter, voice rasp. “Did you guys...” Pallegina leaned in a little, trying to hear her. “Did you guys _steal_ a _horse_?” she finally managed to ask, incredulous.

She saw a flicker of something like confusion in Pallegina’s expression as her eyes widened, and her she froze for a moment. And then she started laughing. It started out as silent, short bursts of breath; all at once erupting into boisterous, hysterical laughter, shoulders shaking.

It was the most wonderful sound Maneha had ever heard. She would give anything to hear Pallegina laugh.

She started laughing too, though it was only a chuckle in her condition, and gods, it _hurt_. Still, she was content just watching Pallegina, eyes closed, head bowed, laughing uncontrollably until tears were coming out of her eyes. She didn’t really understand what was so funny, but Pallegina seemed… overwhelmed, more than anything. She probably needed a good laugh.

And just like that, she stopped, trying the regain her breath. The sound of her uneven breathing was loud in the small room, and Maneha could feel it on her skin as Pallegina leaned in closer, until her head was resting against Maneha’s shoulder.

“You’re okay,” Pallegina whispered after a moment. “You’re alive.”

“Never knew you cared,” Maneha croaked out with a grin. _Thanks to you_ , she didn’t say. It was all coming back to her, now. She remembered the fight, Pallegina killing the guard… and afterwards, she remembered Pallegina keeping her awake, keeping her alive; healing, mending. She knew it was Pallegina who kept her going, despite the pain, despite the wounds. She knew she must have lost a lot of blood. She would’ve died, if not for Pallegina. No wonder she looked so exhausted.

“You… _postenago_ ,” Pallegina breathed, slowly shaking her head to herself. “Don’t ever do that again.”

“I won’t,” Maneha promised _. I won’t leave you_ , she didn’t say.

Maneha put her arm around Pallegina’s shoulders. They stayed like that for some time, in silence, just holding each other. Maneha had never felt so at peace.

As Pallegina was leaning back, Maneha noticed her feathers. They were singed around the edges; the dark, elegant greens and blues blackened and tattered at the ends. Maneha felt her chest hurt, painful in a way that was worse than the wound.

She didn’t even think about it as she gently cupped the side of Pallegina’s face, thumb brushing over her feathers. They were so soft and delicate, silky smooth. So unlike Pallegina, in so many ways. But Maneha was starting to see that… similar in some ways, too.

Their faces were inches apart, now, breathing each other’s air. Maneha had never noticed how long her lashes were before; bold and dark as the night sky, tears from laughing shining like stars, hanging over half-lidded golden eyes. They were beautiful. She was so beautiful.

Slowly, cautiously, Maneha closed the distance. It was a tender kiss at first; soft, supple lips pressing gently against Maneha’s. And suddenly her pain was distant, insignificant; instead a pleasant, tingling feeling spreading through her body, warm. She felt Pallegina’s hand on her neck as she parted her lips ever so slightly, deepening the kiss.

She let Pallegina set the pace, and she tasted like wine, warm and sweet, taking her time kissing Maneha. She hummed against her mouth, and Maneha could feel the vibration, sending shivers down her spine. She tried to sit up, leaning forward and tangling her hand in Pallegina’s hair, only to end up wincing in pain and breaking the kiss.

“Sorry,” she mumbled as she pulled back. When Maneha opened her eyes, Pallegina’s were still closed, her face flushed. Maneha watched in fascination as her tongue darted out to sweep across her lower lip, glistening in the dim candlelight.

“Yes,” Pallegina said quietly, eyes still closed. She opened them a moment later, smiling with an openly affectionate expression. Maneha cherished it.

“Yes, what?”

“ _Yes_ , we stole a horse.”

It took Maneha a while to realize Pallegina was talking about their earlier conversation – she’d completely forgotten about it. She’d forgotten about the entire world, for a while there.

And then it was Maneha’s turn to laugh; soft, quiet. It didn’t hurt so much, this time.

*******

And so the Watcher decided to ask, one day. Completely blunt. He knew it was none of his business, of course. But he could see it, _feel_ it, this thing between the two of them. He wasn’t quite sure if it was a cipher thing, or a Watcher thing, but it was there. It had _been_ there for months, growing in intensity as time passed. He felt like he was intruding, and tried to ignore it but it was so bright, sometimes. Blinding. He may as well ask.

He found Maneha near the campfire. The others were all asleep, and with her nightmares gone, he thought Maneha would be, too. But here she was. Old habits die hard, he supposed.

He wondered if Aloth was still awake. Tryggvi worried about him. He knew Aloth had trouble sleeping, and he knew what that was like. His nights had been plagued with nightmares and restless sleep since long before he became a Watcher.

He sat down next to her.

“So…” he began after a moment of silence.

“Yeah?”

“What’s your thing with Pallegina?”

He saw her look down, the faint, flickering flames illuminating her face with warm tones. It was hard to tell with shadows obscuring her face, but he thought he saw her smile.

**Author's Note:**

> constructive criticism is always welcome!


End file.
